Fork N Wood

          Here is my Fork in Wood, I also made a wrench in wood. When you are finished your friends will keep guessing on how it was made, unless they watch the video. I have one on my desk and people walk by and don't get it, lol. 

          With good woodworking skills and materials you can make one too. 

          Lining in up properly and gluing it tight will hopefully give you a 

          flawless piece.              

             

     

       

      This was my first quick attempt and I was so pleased how it turned out I could not see and crack lines.

            

      To start I just used some regular 2x4's, I made sure there were very few knots or if I was lucky none at all.  I cut a few extras so I would have lots to work with.

              I cut them roughly 2 1/2"x 4" and 1/2" thick using my new pushsticks . 

              Any size would work, whatever looks best.

               

                    Next step is to put them in the vice, and the big reveal is to snap them. I used a  block and a hammer and hit it hard enough to snap in half. Hopefully it will break along the grain.

                Here I got my caliper and measured the thinnest part of the 

                 fork handle and matched it with the right size drill bit.

                      When I clamped the two pieces together I could not even see the

                       crack line so I had to take it apart and make a mark so I knew where 

                      to drill.

 

                       

                        Here the piece is held with my hand and you can not see any lines at all.

                        

                             Careful clamping is done  to make sure everything is lined up and                              tight together.

                                  

                                 

                                The wrench is clamped and looks messy with the glue squeeze out 

                                but that is fine. After it was sanded it turned out flawless with no                                            evident lines.

              

                        I used another piece of 2x4 to make the base. First I dado 

                         cut the centre  and 45 degree angle cuts for the sides.  

                          

                          

                         

                        

             See Also

            

                                    Wood ring through glass bottle video! Check this one 

                                 out, I put a oak ring through a glass bottle.

             

 Push Sticks with Notches

I made a set of push sticks that I have been testing out and like the design, and the colour. They are 3/8th inch thick but I will make a new set that is 3/4 inch. They will be stronger and better for safety. As for the colour, they look cool and I will never loose them in my cluttered shop.

They have two notches, one to hold the wood firm against the fence and the other notch to hold the wood flat so it doesn't flip up. 

 

                               

    

This is the first one I made, it looks good and works good but it should be stronger.

I traced my original onto 3/4 inch plywood and made a few modifications. I also traced a few extras so I would have spares since they do get chewed up on the table saw.

                                               

 

The easiest way is to first cut them with the jigsaw then clean them up on the bandsaw.

After they are cut I used some 150 grit sandpaper to smooth the edges, this is all you need. You can router if you like but sanding by hand is fast and will give you a comfortable feel.

A quick spray booth was made using some cardboard and a frame was made with some scraps.

Some I-hooks are put in the push sticks. Two holes were drilled in the frame for  two wires. They are loose and can be easily rotated for spray-painting 

After some primer tape was put on the pieces pieces. They  were put on randomly, whatever I thought looked cool, then proceeded with black paint.

After the black I taped it again and then painted the red.

Here is the final push-stick. I like the notches for keeping the wood firm to the fence and flat on the table. Its a good idea to trace out a few extras right away since they will get chewed up. 

After a few test cuts I am happy the way they turned out.

See Also 

                                                                  

                    Make a try-square                                                                                                            

                     Mini speed square                                                                                                     

                                                                                                

                                                                                                                          

                                                                                  

Drill Press Tool Holder

Drill Press Tool Holder with Quick Release

 Here is a drill press accessory that allows you to keep your "go-to" bits and accessories out in the open, mounted to the drill press column. Additional holes are marked and can be enlarged as needed.  

To start I use a 2x6 and cut it to length of 14 inches, and after cleaning the sides with the table saw the width is 5 inches.

To make it look better I beveled one end, then rounded the corners on end and hand sanded the edges.

Here is the layout for the bolts. They are both five inches, one carriage and one lag bolt.

Measuring the drill press column (2 1/2") to be transferred  to the block. 

Rather than using a hole saw or large Forstner bit careful cutting with the bandsaw will give you good results.

The small piece is first drilled on the drill press then clamped together and further drilled, this is easier than drilling the whole piece and will keep things straight. When one side is drilled you can put a drill bit inside the hole, this will keep everything aligned.

                     Two notches are dado cut on the table saw this is the exact width of the bolt.                                  A  table saw sled is best for this.

Here is the lever, I just drew something rough and then shaped it slowly and cleaned it up with the sander.

The hole is drilled off centre to make the clamping mechanism.

I hade to do a few tests. I first made it larger than it had to be then shaped it slowly to get the right position for locking. It did not take to long. 

I picked out some of the bits and tools I would use, then drilled additional small holes for other bits later. This keeps things neat and tidy. They can be enlarged when needed.

See Also:

           Mini speed square                                                                                                    

        Jigsaw table